Approval
by LaDyFiCtIoN
Summary: Rukia is faced with a decision - will she accept? But, she realizes that, in search for her brother and his approval, she should trust her own instincts and follow her heart. Where will it lead her? She owes Byakuya many thanks, because without him, and Renji, (and their happiness) there would be no happy ending. Rukia x Ichigo & Byakuya x Renji


Hello 2014! Here is, what I hope, the first of many submissions this year. My fiancee and I were discussing pairings again and hee asked me to write RukiaIchigo but I love ByaRen too much not to throw it in there!

And I wouldn't be here, posting to all you wonderful fans, without **BlackDulla**, who kindly asked to translate a story of mine for the Italian audience. It's on - **Not In The Bedroom**. In exchange, I offer you a story - whatever you want from this fandom. Let me know! Enjoy!

**-=Approval=- **

She glances at her wristwatch for the tenth time in almost as many minutes, patiently waiting for the arrival of her guest. But he never shows up. She is furious; she had left him a note and everything.

Now she glared at her watch and stormed for the front door. How _dare_ he. This was very important to her. She specified in the note. That she left. On his desk. That _same_ morning.

Rukia left her small apartment to investigate the matter. Byakuya was never late. He must not have gotten her note.

That morning she arrived just after the sixth division departed for their weekly group training. There were only three guards left, as she entered their grounds almost undisturbed. She placed the sealed letter on his desk. Did they not have lunch? Had he not been back to his desk?

Rukia could feel his presence and the similar feeling of the division's men. Were they still training? No, she mused, instantly she felt Renji, but no one else now; they were departing. This presented a new challenge. It would be too awkward for her to tell Renji as well. She did not want to hurt him.

She decided to visit her best friend anyway. It took her several minutes to arrive. She needed to see Byakuya and ask for his advice. Her head was too clouded; there was fear and hesitance in abundance, but she bit her lip and hoped to endure such hardships, like she always did. This was what she wanted. She thought she wanted. Could she really have it? Could it actually be achieved? She knew that secretly, she sought his blessing. Would he approve of her decision?

There was a skip in her heartbeat already and she sucked in greedy, steadying breaths, as if the shunpo actually tired her. Her fingers kept fidgeting; she noticed this about herself, a fixation on her fingertips and moving them. This was merely a distraction. Her mind was racing. All day, this same thought consumed her. She had to decide.

Half way to her destination, Rukia stopped her fast footwork and opted to walk instead. It calmed her to saunter at a slower speed. She continued over- thinking her situation, dissecting it into pieces. She wanted everyone's approval. Their first date went so well. It was only missing one thing, according to him.

She arrived at his building and began to contour the premises, to his apartment near the back. Why would Byakuya be at Renji's apartment? Dinner, she assumed. Her own stomach growled but she could not keep down anything, with such anxiety making her nauseous. She was actually glad that they were hanging out.

Rukia could hear laughing coming from the front door and the blinds were open. The window was cracked and their muffled voices escaped from the inside. Renji was talking but she could not see either of them from her angle.

Instead of knocking, she continues to investigate her brother's disappearance. From the edge of the opposite building, she can see inside the apartment and the couch and small table perched beneath the window.

There he is. She glares. They are probably aware of her presence, but it aggravates her nonetheless. She stops though and stares at them. They are both on his couch – Renji is drinking. He says something and suddenly, she sees something that stops her every thought. Byakuya is laughing. She has never seen him, chortling so openly. His laugh is adorable, she remarks, and without noticing it, Rukia is smiling as well from the infectious laughter. It makes her incredibly happy to watch him unwind. Renji. She wants to thank her best friend – he is truly amazing sometimes. She knows that he is both of their best friends now.

Byakuya seems so carefree with Renji; she sees that he is drinking as well. But what is most striking, she finds, is that he is still smiling. It suits him. She knows that he is very attractive and that his smile could win any woman over. He won Hisana over with his soft smile, she always said. But Hisana broke both their hearts.

It makes her incredibly happy that Byakuya is becoming his old self again. Renji is laughing at something he says and she even more now to interrupt them. She does not want to bother them with her problems. They deserve a night of drinking, after their day of training. But she needs to talk to Byakuya. His approval is essential for her, she realizes quite intensely.

But, in that moment, as she blinks, before retreating for the front door, she watches her older brother lean over and kiss her best friend. It lasts half a second, but Renji reciprocates, and as they kiss again, she bursts out laughing. Her heart is beating rapidly, she cannot stop giggling – this was too perfect. If her big brother could take such a risk, then so could she. She decided.

Rukia did not knock on Renji's apartment door; she left the seireitei completely that evening.

All she had to do was flare her energy signal and he would arrive. She could not wait until she reached his apartment. She had to tell him now.

''Ichigo…'' She breathed his name and he appeared before her in his black shinigami robes.

Rukia ran to him. Her feet danced across the gap between them, as they hovered on the skyline, and she kissed him. That was what their date was missing, she was certain of it now. She wanted him. She wanted to laugh freely at his jokes and smile at his handsome face, like she just saw. It inspired her happiness to bloom and overpower her.

''I'm glad you came back.''

She kisses him again for his soothing words and the rest of her body relaxes against him. He supports her in his embrace and loses himself in the moment. She decided on him. Ichigo was overwhelmingly glad that she was there, in his arms, staring up at him.

''So, what made you change your mind, Rukia?'' Ichigo asks. They left on a note of trepidation and uncertainty. She enjoyed herself, but… but could they ever truly be happy together? She asked him the only question he could not answer and now, she laughed, before answering his enquiry.

''My brother, he looked so happy, and he was so bold. I'm so proud of him.'' She smiles and Ichigo does not understand her cryptic message.

''What did he do?''

''You really don't want to know.''

''No, I really want to know now.''

Rukia kisses Ichigo again and teases him with the answer, ''He kissed Renji, just like I kissed you. Just now. I saw them together. And now I'm here, full of inspiration and hope.''

''That's kinda weird Rukia,'' Ichigo comments and while he processes the information, he laughs to himself. ''I'm still really glad though…''

''Me too.''

**-=EndE=-**


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